Arriving at Fortune-telling Street, I felt myself growing drowsy. It must have been the tea Rachel Lan gave me earlier—its effects were starting to kick in.
It was already 11 o'clock. When I reached Mrs. Blake's shop, the old man stood waiting in the alley.
"Kid, you're back again. Haven't eaten, have you? Come in quickly."
I blinked, surprised by how much the old man's attitude toward me had changed.
As soon as I entered, the aroma of food hit me. Mrs. Blake was eating, and we awkwardly joined her.
"Tell me, is this about the death of someone from the Nether Syndicate?"
The old man's words caught me off guard.
"Ethan, my wife and I may not go out much, but we still know a bit about what's happening outside—especially when it comes to our people in the Nether Syndicate. Whenever one of us dies, we feel it in our hearts."
While we ate, I told Mrs. Blake and the old man everything.
"Ethan, this isn't a simple matter. That Yuna Ji actually told you about the Dreamcalling Rite. She clearly knows a lot about our Nether Syndicate."
I let out a sound of realization, watching the old man with an amused look—I knew then this ritual was anything but simple.
The old man chuckled and extended his hand.
I looked at him with a hint of resentment.
"Didn't you say you wanted us to teach you something? Tuition, kid."
I let out a helpless sound—I hadn't learned anything yet, and he was already asking for tuition. But thinking about my current jobless state and empty pockets, I could only hand over a few hundred yuan.
"That's all you've got? Never mind, Ethan. The Dreamcalling Rite may let you see what's coming, but the risks are... considerable."
I swallowed nervously.
I knew I had to ask.
"What kind of risks are we talking about?"
The old man shot me an annoyed look.
If it goes well, you can glimpse the future. If it goes wrong, you could be trapped in that dream forever—your body left in a vegetative state.
My jaw dropped as I stared at the old man. Thinking of Yuna Ji, I couldn't help feeling helpless—why would she recommend this method to me?
"Forget it, Ethan, it's too dangerous," Rachel Lan said immediately.
"That's right, young lady. The Dreamcalling Rite is extremely perilous. If the dreamer can't handle it, they may never return."
Rachel Lan stood up.
"Let's think of another way."
She was about to leave when I suddenly grabbed her.
"Miss Lan, why are you so determined about this matter?"
Rachel Lan shook her head, unwilling to say more.
Then I remembered the Ironmask I'd dreamed about twice. What I saw made me stand up abruptly.
"Mrs. Blake, help me enter the dream. Just tell me what I need to do once I'm inside."
"Ethan, you..."
I smiled.
"Someone has to do something, right? The Ghost Burial Squad must feel helpless, and so do the people of the Nether Syndicate. Instead of sitting around waiting for another tragedy, if there's a way, we should at least try."
Rachel Lan kept trying to talk me out of it, but I insisted on letting Mrs. Blake and the old man perform the Dreamcalling Rite for me.
Inside the room with black curtains, I lay down flat. I was already feeling a bit sleepy.
"Ethan, remember: the dream you enter with the Dreamcalling Rite may not be what you expect. Whatever happens in there isn't an illusion—you'd better treat it as real."
I nodded.
"People say you dream about what you think about during the day, but sometimes you dream about the future. Dreams are both real and unreal, but they have their own unique rules. The Dreamcalling Rite was created by a Zodiac Twelve predecessor of the Nether Syndicate, the Sheep Zodiac, who spent his life developing it. It lets you know the past and future—everything is in the dream."
As the old man spoke, he suddenly turned off the lights. Then a flashlight beam pierced the darkness, glaringly bright. Mrs. Blake sat down cross-legged behind my head.
The old man took a large mirror and placed it directly opposite me, hanging it on the wall.
"Young lady, go out to the yard and bring in some flowers and plants."
Rachel Lan went outside.
"Ethan, remember, you only have the time of three incense sticks. The Dreamcalling Rite is risky. If you encounter danger, look for a place with light—that's how you can escape the dream."
I nodded, then looked at the old man in confusion.
"How long is three incense sticks?"
"About twenty minutes."
I let out a sound of surprise, mouth agape.
"Is that enough time?"
"Ethan, when you enter the dream, if you want to know what happened in the past, just focus on Ironmask in your mind. Once inside, you'll reach the dream of future events. Remember, everything in the dream is illusion, but also real."
"What do you mean?"
"Kid, use your head. The things inside are fake, but in the future, they become real—got it? Remember, when you meet the person you're looking for or witness what's about to happen, don't make a sound."
"So what should I do then?"
"Run! What else? Find somewhere with light nearby. If they spot you and eat you, you'll never wake up again."
Listening to all this, my nerves were shot. Thinking back on my earlier bravado, I was starting to feel afraid.
Rachel Lan came in carrying an armful of flowers and plants, which the old man took from her.
"Ready, Ethan? We're about to send you into the dream."
I nodded, my mind replaying images of Ironmask over and over.
"Young lady, point the flashlight at the mirror."
Rachel Lan moved behind Mrs. Blake, and suddenly, the blinding light made it impossible to open my eyes. I had to squint.
"Neither dream nor reality, twin woods at dusk, flower not flower, wood not wood, grass not grass, slip into sleep, midnight, drift into slumber..." the old man chanted, circling around me and scattering flowers and plants over my body.
"Opening the light, wisdom revealed, breaking the world's greatest taboos, not for selfish gain—flowers fall, water flows, green mountains, drink..." Suddenly, Mrs. Blake shouted, slapping her palm onto my forehead. Using the momentum, she leapt and landed steadily beneath the mirror. Then she pulled out a yellow cloth, covering the mirror. Instantly, the light dimmed, and the twilight glow made me drowsy.
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"Old man."
Mrs. Blake called out. The old man swiftly scattered the flowers and plants over me, then respectfully clasped three incense sticks in his hands and began to dance around me.
"Spirit platform, a touch of impurity enters, clarity emerges..." the old man intoned, thrusting the three incense sticks onto my forehead. Then, with one hand holding the incense, he pointed at the mirror covered with yellow cloth.
With a crisp clap, Mrs. Blake pressed her hands together and began to chant silently.
"Now, with this, I call upon the power of the Twenty-Four Heavens to aid you—sending you into the dream, to know the past and foresee the future. Ethan Zhang, let your dream be as fleeting as clouds and mist..."
My head grew heavy and my eyelids began to droop. Just as I was about to fall asleep, I saw the old man thrust the ends of the incense into my mouth. The leftmost stick was lit, and smoke curled around me as I closed my eyes.
"Remember, Ethan, once you see the dream, run toward the light. Don't look back."
Half-awake, I heard Mrs. Blake's voice.
Suddenly, I opened my eyes wide. Looking around, I found myself in a bustling downtown district. People crowded the streets, and night had just fallen.
I wandered for a while and saw a clock at the entrance of a shop—8:13. I began searching through the sea of people.
"Hey, friend, got a light?" a passerby suddenly called out. I shook my head, indicating I didn't have one.
I quickly scanned the street, but saw nothing unusual. Then I reached the intersection and checked the street sign: Nanping Road.
This must be where the next incident will happen. After searching for a long time, I found nothing out of the ordinary. Then, suddenly, I was back at the shop where I'd checked the time—still 8:13. Not a single second had passed.
"Hey, friend, got a light?" It was the same passerby as before.
I looked more closely and was stunned—the date was missing. The digital clock only showed hours and minutes, but the date display was gone.
"What's going on?" I muttered. I checked several other places, but it was the same—only 8:13, no date.
Suddenly, I found myself in a predicament.